


I'll Give It To Someone Special

by StarfireXL



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Cana & Gray Brotp, Christmas, F/F, M/M, NATSU WILL FIGHT YOU IF YOU HURT HIS GRAY BAE, Song fic, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, Yes you read that right, a song fic, background Lucana, best brotp, blushy gray, coffee shop AU, erzajane sorta alluded to, someone rejected gray last Christmas and now he's insecure, still can't believe I actually did a COFFEE SHOP AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:54:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22028143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarfireXL/pseuds/StarfireXL
Summary: Cana stiffened, turning to him with sisterly concern on her face, “Shit, it’s this song right?”Gray swallowed, trying to brush off the uneasiness rising inside him, “Y-Yeah.” He was grateful that she wasn’t looking at him with that softness in her eyes that so many others, Juvia and Mira chief among them, looked at him with. She just looked pissed, and that was enough to brighten Gray’s mood a bit. “Oh calm down, it’s just another stupid song. No big deal.”“Mmhmm, sure,” Cana drawled, “And I suppose Natsu is just another stupid person?”“Well, you’d be half-right,” Gray mused, tapping his fingers on the counter subconsciously, “Natsu sure is stupid.”But god damn it, he’ll never be just another person.
Relationships: Cana Alberona/Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster
Comments: 1
Kudos: 100





	I'll Give It To Someone Special

_ “Last Christmas, I gave you my heart _

_ But the very next day you gave it away _

_ This year, to save me from tears _

_ I'll give it to someone special…” _

✦✦✦

“I can’t believe you’re  _ still _ hung up on last year.”

Gray sighed quietly through his nose, smoothing down his apron as he flipped the  _ Closed _ sign to  _ Open _ . He glanced out the window at the rapidly lightening sky, admiring the way the early morning sunlight made the tinsel outlining the doorway sparkle.

“I mean, I  _ told _ you it wasn’t gonna work out, but did you listen? No!”

He gritted his teeth as he walked back to the register, running tired fingers through his messy black hair and stifling a yawn with the back of his hand. He shot a glare at Cana as she hopped up onto the counter beside him, swinging her legs childishly and reaching out to poke one of the glittery white snowflakes dangling from the ceiling.

“It wasn’t  _ that _ bad anyway--”

“Cana,” Gray interrupted, narrowing his eyes at her threateningly, but he was fairly sure the intimidation was diluted by his pointy, green elf hat, complete with a little bell.  _ Christmas spirit _ , Mira had said. “Would you kindly shut up? How the hell did you get in here, anyway? You don’t even work here.”

She grinned slyly at him, flicking the bell on the tip of his hat and laughing as he swatted at her hand. She tipped her head forward so her mass of brown curls fell into her face, eyes shining mischievously like she had a secret to share. “You _always_ unlock the door for me when you're opening so I can get in earlier than everyone else, Hun.”

Damn it, that was true.

“Honestly, though,” Cana frowned down at him, nudging him with her elbow, “It’s been a whole damn year since the... _ incident _ . Aren’t you ever going to move on?”

Gray grimaced, trying to block out the memories that flooded back at her words. Last year’s Christmas was...mortifying to say the least. It was the first, and  _ last _ , time he was  _ ever _ taking a risk that involved putting his heart on the line.

“What about Mira?” Gray shot back, and he knew he was being slightly cruel, “Are you saying you’re already over her?”

A bittersweet smile tugged at the edges of Cana’s lips, and Gray wasn’t surprised at how well she held his gaze, “There’s not much to get over, really. We had fun, a  _ lot _ of fun, but Mira’s looking for a wife, and I’m scared shitless of commitment at the moment. So yeah,  _ that _ particular fling is over and we parted as friends.” She smiled at him triumphantly, knowing she had won that round. “‘Sides, Red’s had dibs on her since the seventh grade. Now, I dunno ‘bout you, but ain’t no way I’m getting between them. Those two crazy ladies were made for each other.” She finished her little speech by taking a victory swig from her flask, which, if the smell was anything to go by, was filled to the brim with whiskey. 

“Know what I think?” Cana blurted out suddenly, wiping her mouth on her sleeve and continuing before Gray had the chance to respond, “I think you should tell him. I think you should tell Natsu how you feel.”

Gray inhaled sharply, turning an incredulous look on her as he struggled to find words. 

_ Where the hell did that come from?! _

“Cana, there’s no way--”

“And you should do it at Mira’s Christmas Party,” she added in hurriedly, her eyes twinkling sincerely at him, “I know for a  _ fact _ that he’s coming. Mira gave me a head count so I could bring enough booze to go around.”

All Gray could do was blink at her as his mind tried to process what she was saying. Subconsciously, he glanced around the café as if afraid someone was listening in, but they had been open for only ten minutes, so the room was still completely empty. Slowly, he turned back to her, fingers coming up to rub his temples.

“You want me to…” Gray trailed off, shaking his head at the thought, “You want me to confess to Natsu at the  _ same damn Christmas party _ where I was  _ humiliated _ last year?” 

Cana stared unabashedly back at him, face uncharacteristically serious, “Yup!”

Gray just gaped at her, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I swear I’m not, Gray!” Cana insisted, slipping off of the counter to stand across from him, leaning forward on her forearms as she brought her face closer to his, “I’m just sick and tired of watching you wallow in misery and self-pity over that son of a bitch!”

They both jumped slightly as the front door opened, the sound of a bell ringing out through the café as a blond-haired man in a suit hurried in, cheeks flushed from the biting cold. Cana swiftly stepped out of the way as Gray took his order, handing him a steaming cup of espresso before he vanished out the door like the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels. 

Cana lowered her voice as more people started to trickle in, mindful of the three other employees that had just arrived. They paid her no attention, too used to her frequent presence, especially during Gray’s shifts. “Look, I  _ know _ you like him. And I’m pretty sure he’s into you too! You don’t spend  _ that _ much time wrestling with someone unless you’re looking for an excuse to touch them.”

Gray snorted, breaking off from the conversation to take a couple more orders before rolling his eyes at Cana, “For God’s sake, Cana, we were 10! Natsu can barely take a hint now, you think he even  _ thought _ about this stuff back then?”

Cana blew a strand of hair out of her face, planting her hands firmly on her hips before glowering at Gray, “Admit it! You’re just looking for any excuse to back out of this!” When he didn’t reply she softened her approach, hand coming up to squeeze his shoulder, an air of solemnity and wisdom about her. “C’mon, Gray, have a little faith. Being the awesome friend that I am, I took a little look-see into your future and fortune is smiling down on you! The cards told me that today is the  _ perfect _ day to tell him!”

Gray frowned at her, biting down on his lip nervously, “Cana, you watched a three hour YouTube tutorial on fortune telling with tarot cards. You’re not some damn mystic-voodoo-prophet lady. It’s clear Natsu doesn’t like me that way. If he did, why hasn’t he done anything about it? He’s not the kind to just wait around for the other person to make the first move.”

He could tell he had stumped her when Cana faltered, brows furrowing unsurely. Gray gave her a reassuring smile, gently taking her hand off his shoulder and returning her squeeze, “Hey, it’s ok. It’s just a stupid crush, it’ll go away eventually.”

Gray breathed a sigh of relief when Cana turned around, grumbling under her breath as she leaned against the counter, arms crossed stubbornly over her chest. Truthfully, Gray  _ wasn’t _ sure this feeling was just going to go away. He was no expert in love, but the delightfully painful way his chest constricted whenever he was around the pink-haired idiot, the breathlessness he felt when Natsu brushed against him, the prickling sensation that spread over his skin when those green eyes looked at him, were all obvious indicators that this wasn’t a measly crush like the others had been. Like  _ last year’s _ had been. 

Gray was aware there was something more between him and Natsu, in the way their eyes met, in the way their personalities clashed, in the way they just seemed to complete each other. It was something so precious and raw and  _ real _ that Gray was scared he’d break it if he tried to change things.

He jolted when the overhead speakers crackled, a sound like paper crumpling, before music started playing, filling the café with its lilting melody. Gray supposed the scene was almost picturesque, with the natural light filtering in from the windows and reflecting off the snowflakes, the soft murmur of conversation from the people settling down with mugs of hot cocoa in their hands, the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and coffee wafting from the kitchen.

But Gray found it hard to focus on that when  _ the  _ song was playing over the speakers, the catchy tune making his heart clench. He still remembered the lyrics, how could he not? They were the background to the epic disaster of a confession he had attempted last year. 

_ Keep my distance _

_ But you still catch my eye _

_ Tell me, baby _

_ Do you recognize me... _

Cana stiffened, turning to him with sisterly concern on her face, “Shit, it’s this song right?”

Gray swallowed, trying to brush off the uneasiness rising inside him, “Y-Yeah.” He was grateful that she wasn’t looking at him with that softness in her eyes that so many others, Juvia and Mira chief among them, looked at him with. She just looked pissed, and that was enough to brighten Gray’s mood a bit. “Oh calm down, it’s just another stupid song. No big deal.”

“Mmhmm, sure,” Cana drawled, “And I suppose Natsu is _just_ another stupid person?”

“Well, you’d be half-right,” Gray mused, tapping his fingers on the counter subconsciously, “Natsu sure is stupid.”

_ But god damn it, he’ll never be just another person. _

Gray’s eyes wandered over to the door as it opened again, the cheerful chime of the bell drowned out by the loud, boisterous laughter of the man who walked through it.

“Speak of the devil…” Cana murmured faintly, and Gray could feel her eyes on him, gaging his reaction. 

_ Be calm, be calm, be calm…  _

But it was hopeless. As soon as he caught sight of Natsu’s signature pink-haired-green-eyed look, his tanned skin gleaming under the sunlight, face sporting an _oh so familiar_ grin, Gray’s skin grew warm, and he just knew he was blushing.

He pretended not to notice Cana’s smug smirk.

“Hey Ice Princess,” Gray almost got whiplash from how fast his head turned, his heart skipping a beat when he met Natsu’s eyes, “Can we get two cups of hot chocolate?” 

Gray blinked at him, mind still trying to process his words, body all too aware of Natsu’s gaze on him, heating up his skin despite all of Gray’s efforts to control himself. He schooled his features into an apathetic expression, glancing up when he noticed a flash of golden hair. 

His eyes widened minutely when he caught sight of the girl hovering behind Natsu, her brown eyes wide and nervous as she regarded him before her gaze slid to Cana. Hesitantly, she smiled at them, fiddling with a lock of her blonde hair before curling it behind her ear.

Gray tried to ignore the sharp pang of disappointment, bitterness swelling in his chest until it seemed to ache with every beat of his heart.

_ Oh… _

Of course. Of  _ course _ , Natsu already had someone. So much for fortune smiling down on him.

“Uh Princess?” Natsu snapped his fingers in Gray’s face, making him flinch, “Hot chocolate?”

“Right, right,” Gray mumbled, fingers wobbling slightly as he fumbled with the cash register, “Whipped cream or no whipped cream?” Natsu merely raised an eyebrow. “Right, of course, whipped cream.” His voice sounded alarmingly flat to his own ears, and it took everything he had to look the girl in the eyes and ask her the same.

“Y-Yes whipped cream!” she stuttered, face reddening when Cana let out a soft giggle, “I m-mean,  _ yes _ , I would like whipped cream.”

Gray managed a slight smile back, ringing up both their orders. In the back of his mind, he could hear Cana talking, a familiar inflection to her words, something sweet and spicy that he unconsciously recognized as her flirty voice.

When he looked back at the other three, his brows shot up when he saw Cana’s arm around the blonde’s shoulder, her eyes half-lidded as she leaned into the other girl’s space. To her credit, the blonde girl held her ground, her face still comically red, but she looked pleased at the contact as Cana drew her away. The brunette shot a meaningful glance over her shoulder at Gray, and he suddenly became very aware of Natsu leaning backwards on the counter across from him.

The pink-haired man let out a raspy chuckle, tugging at his scarf to loosen it, “They’ll have fun, for sure.”

Gray hummed noncommitedly, sneaking a glance at Natsu from behind his bangs, “Aren’t you mad Cana’s seducing your  _ girlfriend _ ?” He winced as he stressed that word accidentally, hoping Natsu didn’t notice the jealousy in his voice.

But Natsu just laughed louder, turning around fully to face Gray, “Lucy’s not my girlfriend. She’s way too gay for that.” There was an odd glimmer in his green eyes as he looked at Gray, “And I am, too.”

Gray barely managed to keep from choking on his own tongue, “Is that a fact…?”

“Yup!” Natsu popped the ‘p’, lips pulling back in a lazy grin before he glanced back at the girls, who were chatting animatedly at a table by the door, “And I meant what I said too. I think they’ll be good together. Lucy won’t hurt her, if that’s what your worried about.”

That wasn’t what Gray was worried about. He was much,  _ much _ more worried about what Natsu just said ten seconds ago, and whether or not this entire day had just been some post-Christmas hallucination.

“We have fun, too, don’t we Princess?” Natsu said, and he leaned closer to Gray over the counter, strands of his pink hair falling into his face and Gray wanted to brush them aside so very badly. “Wanna have fun with me at Mira’s party?”

“Huh?”

_ She’s way too gay for that…and I am too… _

Gray’s breath hitched as Natsu tipped his chin up, green eyes shining with determination, “I _said_ , do you wanna go to Mira’s party with me?”

“That isn’t what you said.”

Natsu rolled his eyes, “Gimme a break, Popsicle. I’m trying to ask you out, you don’t have to make this harder than it is.”

Gray scoffed, “ _ Go to hell _ , I can make it whatever I  _ want _ to make it--” His voice cut off when he processed Natsu’s words, thoughts grinding to a halt, heart leaping into his throat. “W- _ What _ ?”

A dazzling smile spread across Natsu’s face, part mischief, part triumph, all Natsu.

And damn it if Gray didn’t want to kiss him right then.

“But...But last year--”

“ _ Listen _ to me, Gray,” Natsu interrupted, green eyes hardening just a bit, “You need to get over it. That bastard never,  _ ever _ deserved you, even before what happened. If he showed his face here again, I can  _ guarantee _ you he wouldn’t make it  _ one step _ before everyone jumped him. I’d be first, of course--”

“What makes you so sure  _ you _ deserve me?” Gray mumbled jokingly, trying to lighten the mood and ignite some sort of argument between them. It was what he was comfortable with, traded insults, heated debates, witty banter. But this? Gray didn’t know  _ what _ this was, even though a part of him really,  _ really _ wanted to find out.

Natsu’s eyes softened, his thumb gliding over Gray’s cheek as he cupped his face in his hand, “I don’t know. But maybe we can find out?” There was a touch of uncertainty there, a break in his ever-present confidence, and Gray felt a rush of relief that he wasn’t the only one who was unsure of himself.

_ Last Christmas, I gave you my heart _

_ The very next day, you gave it away. _

_ This year, to save me from tears, _

_ I’ll give to someone special… _

Gray found himself laughing as the song was replayed, Natsu singing the lyrics under his breath, ridiculously out of tune. He glanced to the side for a moment to see Cana waving, and he knew she was behind it. Maybe she was behind it all. He met Natsu’s gaze again, enraptured with the greenness of his eyes, and the softness of his hair, and the roughness of his fingers as they traced the curve of his jaw.

“You gonna break my heart, Flamebrain?” 

Natsu just smiled at him, face lighting up as if the sun was glowing from within him, “I have no intention of ever doing that, Snowflake,” his breath was warm against Gray’s lips as he leaned even further, ignoring the way the counter dug into his waist. His lips grazed Gray’s cheek, sending a delicious shiver up the black-haired man’s spine, “ _ Ever _ . You agree to this, you’re stuck with me.”

And despite everything that happened last year, despite swearing to never take a chance on love again, Gray believed him.

_ This year, to save me from tears, _

_ I’ll give it to someone special…  _


End file.
